Amarnath Sehgal was a renowned Indian painter, poet and sculptor. He was born in the year 1922. He did his graduation in Industrial Chemistry from Benares in the year 1941. Thereafter he worked as an engineer did his studies privately at Lahore. He earned a master`s degree from New York University.
He is also known as India`s Henry Moore. He is known for his thirteen year stint with the Government of India in order to endorse an artist`s moral right over his creation. In the year 1959, the Indian Government accredited a mural for the walls around the central arch of Vigyan Bhavan and the sculptor was Amarnath Sehgal. The concept was provided by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
He completed the 140 feet-long murals in 1962. It was the centre stage for twenty years at Vigyan Bhavan. Thereafter the building was renovated and the wall was pulled down.
Sehgal was distressed by the destruction of his work. He moved court and alleged that an artist`s moral rights have been violated. It was settled in the year 2005.
Sehgal was the force behind the Creative Fund in 1985 which was created to help third world artists. He dealt in contemporary themes, socio-economic ills that plagued India during his time. He also created several public figures that were commissioned by the world organizations like the United Nation and the Indian government. He had put Indian sculpture on the global art chart at a time Indian sculptures were not recognized globally.
He was considered as a traditionalist. He did not consider art as an investment. He had been a beneficiary of the UN Peace Medal. He passed away in the year 2007.
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